Domestic Violence and Abuse Awareness Art Show 2011

"Domestic Violence and abuse can happen to anyone, regardless of size, gender, or strength, yet the problem is often overlooked, excused or denied. This is especially true when the abuse is psychological, rather than physical. Emotional abuse is often minimized, yet it can leave deep and lasting scars." --Melinda Smith, M.A. and Heanne Segal, Ph.D. 


Congratulations! The Violence Free Families Intern and Office of Community Engagement would like to congratulate Brian Kollatz for winning the Domestic Violence and Abuse Awareness Merit Award and Ornella Umubyeyi for winning the Popular Choice award at the Office of Community Engagement's Domestic Violence and Abuse Awareness Art Show, held on Thursday, November 10th, 2011.  Check out the winning pieces and artist's statements below: 


Domestic Violence and Abuse Awareness Merit Award
Artist: Brian Kollatz
Category: Digital Art 

Artist's Statement: 
"When I was creating this piece I was imagining a sense of running away from your spouse and possibly even your friends that are abusing you. This piece can be interpreted in many different ways, but there is one main way that I read it: the head in the foreground is trying to escape from the others and keeps looking back frantically. The two heads in the background are chasing the head in the foreground. It also represents emotional domestic violence because they are just heads and have nothing to hurt each other with but their words. The different colors used in the the figure represent all of the different emotions that are going on in the the individuals. Mark Rothko and Sean Scully inspired me when I was making the background and I feel as if the colors accentuate the tone of this piece." --Brian Kollatz, Class of 2014


Popular Choice Award 
Artist: Ornella Umubyeyi
Category: Photography 








Artist's Statement: 
"I am not sure if this goes with the domestic abuse in the US, but for me, it's the childhood that kids don't have as they are left neglected, and mostly unloved. Abuse can be works that are unsaid, the act not done, and the care not given. Abuse is not limited, as I understand, as I look around, these kids spoke to my heart and I took their words to share with the world through my art work. What happens when you forget a child? It's basically what I was trying to get at through my work." --Ornella Umubyeyi, Class of 2013

Presented by Honey Zaw, Office of Community Engagement Violence Free Families Social Justice Intern